AMG and Aston Martin Partnership Announced, Engine and Tech Sharing

AMG and Aston Martin come off to us as rivals. Several models from each brand compete head-to-head, but apparently the two are making strange bedfellows. AMG and Aston Martin have announced a partnership for powertrains and certain elements of engineering and technology. Consider our interest officially piqued.

The deal instantly benefits Aston Martin, which needs updated engines as soon as yesterday. While we love the snarl of a fire-breathing V12, environmental regulations are making such powerplants obsolete. AMG’s bi-turbo 5.5-liter V8 will do well to propel the Vanquish-sized cars. The non-turbo V8 found in the SLK55 AMG makes a good fit for the V8 Vantage, and access to hybrid tech has also been rumored.

But how does AMG benefit from this relationship? Remember, AMG is the semi-autonomous performance wing of Mercedes-Benz, and have access to quite a bit of R&D resources. But, according to the report from Piston Heads, AMG’s parent Daimler AG will own as much as 5% of non-voting shares, depending on how the deal is finalized. Engineering teams will work together as well.

Aston Martin’s lineup is in desperate need of infotainment system updates, and may also get access to certain in-car technology. As a whole, the deal sounds like Aston Martin is leveraging a stake in its company in exchange for the engines and technology that are absolutely vital to keep it competitive against the eco- and user-friendly supercars of the future. We are very interested to see how this relationship comes to fruition.